Locking mechanism for superposed drawers.



P. S. MILLIOE. LOOKING MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED DRAWBRS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.28, 1910.

1,073,274, Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

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WHQZ M FT v \I Era" P. s. MILLIGE. LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSEDDRAWERS. APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 28, 1910.

1,073,274.. Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

s SHEETSSHEET 2.

E/ZZ Z 0 Z) f i 56 f ,I I! i I 152 g 12,) l/ 0 Z] I I P. S. MILLIOE.LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED DRAWERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC, 28. 1910. 1,073,274. Patented Sept. 16,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

" IT D STATES PAT PAUL s. ,MILILIGE, or HAMILTON, "or-no, AssrGNoR 'rorInE-ritoor, FURNITURE nun oolvsrrwc'rron COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., Aoonronn'rromor NEW YORK.

' LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED DRAWERS.

filing cabinets and desks, or the like, and es-:

pecially intended for use in articles of this character made of metal. Ihave illustratedthe same applied to a Vertical filing cabinet of metalconstruction. 1

In the selling of'articles of this character some customers desire thesame provided with lockingmechanism, while others prefer the samewithout the locking mechanism applied. thereto. It is an item ofconsiderable expense however, for a dealer to carry stock including thearticles with and also without locking mechanism, and users frequentlydesire locking mechanisms applied after purchase of the articles, and itis one of the objects of my invention to provide a locking mechanism forthe reception of which the article may be prepared in its manufacture,so that the locking mechanism may be applied to the article at any timewithout the necessity of reconstruction, as

by the simple addition of parts, inorder that a dealer or customer maysupply the locking mechanism without the necessity of reconstruction orthe employment of tools,

with the exception possibly of a screw-driver for screwing the parts tobe attached in place.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a lockin mechanism inwhich the locking keepers or the respective drawers are connected forcombined movement and may be separately automatically lockedirrespective of the locked or unlocked condition of the remainingdrawers.

It is'a further object of my invention to j ing the same for instance inlocking or in unlocking positions, and, further, to provide a lockoperable upon the connection for Specification of Letters Patent.Application filed Decemberm, T910. Serial No. 599,651.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

maintaining the same with the locking keepers controlled thereby inlocked positions.

In the drawings: Figure 1 IS an inside elevation of my improved deviceshowing the same applied to avertical filin cabinet with '2. .Fig. 2 isa front elevation of my improved device, applied toa vertical filingcabinet. Fig. 3 is an outside side elevation of the front end of thevertical filing cabinet, partly broken away, showing my improved deviceapplied thereto, and in locked relation. Fig. 4 is a similar view,showing my, improved device in unlocked relation. Fig. 5 is a rearelevation of my improved device partly broken away, the filing cabinetbeing shown in vertical section on the line y-y of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is aplan view of the same. Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same on theline-w-m of Fig. 3; and, Fig. 8 is a cross-section on the line 'w w 0Fig. 3.

1 represents the framework of the article to which my improved device isapplied, which, as stated, may be a vertical filing cabinet, desk, orthe like, and is instance as the metal framework of a metal constructionupright filing cabinet, which may comprise a standard 2 shown as a frontstandard of the framework, which standard may be able by unscrewing thescrews 6 by which it is secured to the framework.

7, 7 represents the drawers, instanced as the filing drawers of thecabinet shown, and which are arrangedto slide in and'out in suitablemanner, as on a suspension frame 8.

9 is the front wall of the drawer shown, comprising, the forward wall 10and the rear wall 11, shown as formed up of sheet metal. The drawers areshown in superposed relation. l

12 are lockin dogs or keepers which are pivoted to the rame at 13, andare prefer ably provided with keeping faces 14; adapted to engage withthe keeping. parts of the drawers, preferably at the front of the samethe keepers l2-be1ng instanced as receive through'e'ecesses 15 in therear wall 11 of the drawer-fronts. The sides of the drawers are shown asprovided with inwardly extending longitudinal recesses 16 whichaccommodate the locking keepers.

The locking dogs are connected for combined movement for bringing thedogs into locking positions, but preferably in such,

ing received between the head of the screw and the locking dog, and thescrew being preferably a shoulder-screw, the shoplder of which isreceived against the locking dog forpermitting ease of movement betweenthe dog and bar. The slot 24 is preferably a curved slot, substantiallyon the arc of swing described from the pivot of the locking dog forpermitting ease of movement v i of thelatter. A spring 25 between thelocking dog and the bar normally urges the dog into locking position.This spring is shown as a spiral spring, one end of which is receivedabout the screw 26 threaded into the screw 23, and the other end ofwhich is received about a screw 27 threaded into the bar. In theconstruction shown the descent of the bar brings all of the locking dogsinto unlocked relation, the upper walls of the slots 24 in the barmaking contact withthe screws 23, which are secured to the heels 28 ofthe locking dogs, for causing these heels to be depressed and therebyraising the keeping parts on said dogs out of range of the keeping partson the drawers, the pivots of the dogs being shown as'located betweenthe said heels and the said keeping. parts thereon.

For imparting longitudinal movement to the upright bar I provide abell-crank lever 31 pivoted at 32, at the angle thereof, to theframework, this pivot bemg shown as a releasable shoulder-screw threadedinto a sleeve 33 secured in the framework.

34 is a link to which the bell-crank lever is articulated by anarticulation 35. shown as a s'houlder-screw, the said link being alsoarticulated to theupright bar on an articulation 36, shown asashoulder-screw.

3-7 is a manually manipulated part, shown as a button, articulated at 38to the bellcrank lever. A spring 39 may be employed for normally urgingthe bar into unlocking relation in the present instance, resulting in anoutward movement of the button, the spring being shown as a coiled"spring received about the sleeve 33 and having a hooked end 40 receivedabout the'bell-crank lever at one end, the otherend 41 of the springbeing received against the framework.

42 is an obstruction, shown as a part of the link 34, which is arrangedto be received across the keeper 43 of a lock 44, for normally keepingthe bar in locked relation,

when movement of the obstruction is prevented "by the keeper of saidlook. This lock is preferably a spring-lock, that is, a lock having itskeeper f'normally urged outwardly by a spring, as see the spring 45.

The keeper of the lock i sarranged to be held in unobstructing positionby having the obstruction 42 pass in front thereof, when the lockingmechanism is placed in unlocked relation. This obstruction is shown as aforwardly project-ing part of the link 34, which is preferably projectedlaterally from the body of the link by a lateral bend 46, so as toposition the obstruction at the side of the moving parts-of thebell-crank lever and into range of the keeper of the lock. Thepush-button and escutcheon 47 of the 'lock are preferably receivedrespectively through the front of the framework, as through apertures.48'49 of an escutcheon-plate 50, suitably secured to the casing as byreleasable screws 51.

The parts which are shown-as holding the locking mechanism in place arethe screws 13, which serve as pivots for the locking dogs, and the screw32, which serves as a have simple threaded connection. with theframework, are shown as shoulder-screws, and are easily removed fromtheir threaded apertures 52 5-3 in the framework, and when they areremoved the entire locking dogs and bar and connected mechanisms may beremoved from the frame. easily removable if desired, by removing the115\ The lock is also screws 54 by which the lock is secured to theframework. The openings left in the escutcheon-plate may be closed ifdesired, or a substitute escutcheon-plate may be put in place of the onehaving the openings therein, by manipulating the screws 51 by means ofwhich the escutcheon-plate is secured to the framework.

The drawers are adapted'to slide above shelves 55 and the suspensionframe 15 adapted to slide in side channel-pieces 56,

uprights of the framework.- Access from the compartment in which a givendrawer slides to the compartment above or below the same is prevented,and the locking dog .105" pivot for the bell-crank lever. These screwssecured for instance to the front and rear v is fully pushed in.

for any particular drawer, is removed out of range of manipulationIEIOIILSflld compartment above. or below the same.

When the connecting, bar is placed for locking position of the dogs, anyof the drawers desired may be closed and locked, or

certain of the drawers may remain open,

the locking dogs for the latter however being in such relation that whenthese latter drawers are closed, they will also be locked withoutafi'ecting the locked relation of the previously locked drawers.

The locked relation of the locking mecha the dogs, and thespringconnecting-said connecting bar and the dogs draw the rear ends of saidlocking dogs with-the locking bar, in the movement of the latter,thereby bringing the locki ng dogs into locking positions Each of thelocking dogs however, is still free to yieldingly move against thetension of the spring, when the keeping part of'the drawer is receivedagainst the keeping part of the locking dog, thereby insuring instantlocking of each drawer which While I have instanced the movement of theconnecting bar as an upward movement for bringing the dogs into lockingpositions, it is obvious that a downward movement of the same mayaccomplish the same purpose by reversing the positions of the keepingparts on the locking dogs, and causing the latter to lock by an upwardmovement instead of a downward movement as instanced in the drawings.Other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention. a

My improved device is exceptionally simple and easily applied, is strongand durable,

. and is so constructed and arranged that the same may be applied or notto the case when manufactured, as may be desired, and if not applied atthe time of manufacture, may be applied at any time subsequent withoutreconstruction.

Each of the cases manufactured, whether supplied with the lockingmechanism or not at the time of manufacture, is provided with thethreaded apertures for receiving the pivots 13 and 32, and the screws 54for the lock, suitable provision being preferably made in the frameworkfor the push-button 37 and escutcheon 47 of the look, as by providingthe escutcheon-plate with the openings 48, 49, the framework beingprovidedwith registering openings 57, '58, the drawers also beingprovided'with the recesses 15 shown as in the rear wall of the front ofthe This drawer. The outward appearance of the case is the same, whetherthe locking mech; anism be present 01' not, and the locking mechanismmay be applied at any time by the mere insertion of the screws 13 and 32and the screwing on of the lock 44. The side is readily removable forthe purpose by unscrewing the screws 6.

It will be further noted that I show the 1 locking mechanism locatedbetween the front parts of the framework and drawers, thereby avoidinglost motion and avoiding fur-. ther the danger of surreptitious openingof the drawers incident to old constructions where locking mechanismsare employed at the rear of the drawers, and due for instance tolooseness in the drawer-parts or to springing of the parts orconnections between the fronts of the framework and drawers and thepoints at which said locking mechanisms in said old constructions arelocated, all of which objections are removed in my improved device.

Having thus fully described my inven- I tion, what I claim as new anddesire to se-. cure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a metal filing cabinet, the combina tion of a framework havingsuperposed drawebopenings and comprising side uprights at the front ofsaid framework formed up out of sheet-metal with inner rearwardlyextending flanges which form the side walls of said superposeddraweropenings, superposed drawers in said drawer-openings, locking dogspivoted in superposed relation to one of said inner rearw'ardlyextending flanges, and coacting means at the front ends of said drawersfor said locking dogs. I

2. In a metal filing cabinet, the combination of a framework havingsuperposed drawer-openings and comprising side uprights at the front ofsaid framework formed up out of sheet-metal with inner rearwardlyextending flanges which form the side walls of said superposeddraweropenings, superposed drawers in said drawer-openings, locking dogspivoted in superposed relation to one of said mner rearwardly extendingflanges, coacting means at the front ends of said drawers for saidlocking dogs, means for normally urging said dogs into lockingpositions, and connecting means between said dogs for causing theirsimultaneous operation; I

3. In a metal filing cabinet, the combination of a framework havingsuperposed drawer-openings and drawer-spaces and comprising sideuprights at the front of said framework formed up out of sheet-metalwith inner rearwardly extending flanges which form the side walls ofsald superposed drawer-openings, superposed drawers in saiddrawer-openings, locking dogs pivoted in superposed relation to one ofsaid inner rearwardly eat/ending flanges,- eoactmg means at the frontends of sand drawers for said locking dogs means for normally lockingdogs being distanced from the hori-- zontal located. a

4'. In a metal filing cabinet, the combination of a framework havingsuperposed planes in; which said shelves are drawer openings, superposeddrawers in said drawer-openings, and su erposed locking dogs pivoted tothe inner ront ends of said framework, said drawers res activelycomprising hollow sheet-metal ronts formed with a sheet-metal front walland a sheetnietalrear wall, said sheet-metalrear walls havingopenintherein the walls whereof form keepers ior said dogs, and said dogsreceived in said hollows .of said sheet metal fronts.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name hereto in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

PAUL S. MILLIOE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD SoU'rHwoRTH, LILLIAN BURNE'rr.

